Major Characters
Mitsuo Suwa (須羽満夫 (ミツ夫, みつ夫) Suwa Mitsuo) (aka Perman #1) - The main character in the series, Mitsuo is the rebellious 11-year-old boy chosen as the first Perman. Of the five known Perman, he has had the most close calls to having his secret identity made known (and his cover blown). He hates studying, being grounded by his mother (the former two traits shared with Nobita Nobi of Doraemon, another of Fujiko's works), ghosts, and cockroaches (the insects were once used in a scheme by the ZenAkuRen). He has a crush on Michiko and often quarrels with Perko (Pako). He is a big fan of the singer Sumire Hoshino, who, unbeknownst to anyone, actually is Perman #3. Mitsuo seems to be very lazy sometimes. Voiced by: Katsue Miwa. *'Booby' (aka Perman #2) - Booby, though a chimpanzee and therefore not human, let alone a man, is officially referred to as "Perman #2". He is highly intelligent, but because he cannot speak human language, he often uses objects and gestures to get his point across. He is Mitsuo's favourite sidekick. Voice ''by:'' Hiroshi Ōtake. *'Sumire Hoshino' (星野スミレ Hoshino Sumire) (aka Perman #3 or Perko) - Although Sumire is a girl, she is officially addressed as "Perman #3"; however, her teammates often call her called "Perko". Her secret identity, which she never reveals even to her teammates, is a famous child star. She feels freer when she is Perko because, as the child star Sumire, she is always treated as a celebrity everywhere she goes. In her superhero guise, she is tomboyish and headstrong, quarreling with Mitsuo and sometimes with Michiko. But she later falls in love with Mitsuo, revealing herself only to him in the final chapter. Sumire, as an older actress, also makes significant cameo appearances in two chapters of Doraemon, telling Nobita about a faraway lover whose return she is waiting for (in volume 19 and 24 of Doraemon). Voiced by: Yōko Kuri (1st), Eiko Masuyama (2nd~). *'Hōzen Ōyama' (大山法善 Ōyama Hōzen?) (aka Perman #4 or Peryan) - The little Buddhist monk who lives in Osaka. He is very pragmatic and this sometimes pits him against the other Pāmen. His pragmatic attitude saves the Permen from many of their tribulations. Voiced by: Yoshihisa Kamo (1st), Kaneta Kimotsuki (2nd~). *'Kōichi Yamada' (山田浩一 Yamada Kōichi?) (aka Perman #5 or Pābō (パー坊 "baby Perman"?)) - Nicknamed "Kō-chan", he is the fifth and youngest member of the team. He saw Mitsuo as Perman #1 on one occasion, and was made a Perman to preserve Mitsuo's secret identity. The first anime and manga series had several appearances by Kōichi, but he is nonexistent in the second versions of either series. In addition, all but one chapter in the current manga volumes (a Christmas special) with an appearance by him has been omitted. Voiced by: Fuyumi Shiraishi. *'Superman' (aka Birdman) - One of the Supermen, the guardians of the universe. His name is Superman in early series, but he is renamed Birdman in later series to avoid violating the copyright of DC. Despite this, his appearance completely differs from the original Superman. Voiced by: Akira Shimada (1st), Yoshito Yasuhara (2nd~). *'Copy-robots' - Androids which are given to Permen from Superman to help keep their secret. Each one transforms into a clone of the person who pushes a button on its nose. The memories of that copy robot can also be transferred to the original person by placing both foreheads against each other. In the first series, the robot had a red nose that remained visible even after the transformation, and they often were deactivated by well-meaning people trying to wipe their noses clean. The duplication procedure also copies whatever clothing or items that are on the activator's person, which landed Mitsuo in trouble on a few occasions for abusing this property. These made a cameo in the Doraemon series as one of his many gadgets from the future.